History of IWM North

Purpose built to tell the stories of war IWM North opened in 2002. Designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Daniel Libeskind, who created the building to enhance the museum’s subject matter – the sharp angles, sloping floors, leaning walls and imposing exterior are deliberately in place to unsettle and disorientate you, intensifying the collections and stories within.

The idea for a Northern IWM branch was conceived in 1989. The Greater Manchester Development Corporation were looking for a national museum to open a branch in Manchester. In the spring of 1990, former Director General Alan Borg and former Assistant Director Robert Crawford travelled to Manchester to visit potential sites for a new, purpose-built IWM museum.

The vision was this IWM branch would be different to the existing IWM sites, not constrained in the same way branches housed in historic buildings were. It would use cutting edge audio-visual techniques to create a linear experience that would make visitors feel like part of the events depicted. Early proposals radically wanted to avoid display panels and captions. 

Disagreements over this direction and a lack of support from Manchester City Council meant this project didn’t advance beyond an outline. But IWM was still committed to having “IWM for the North” and started looking for a new host city.

The aims for the new museum also changed. IWM was presented with the opportunity to acquire HMS Caroline from the Ministry of Defence, and this made a waterside location a priority, so the ship could be incorporated into the museum. This led IWM to Hartlepool, where the museum was offered space as part of the Union Dock redevelopment.

By 1996 the project had stopped again but the idea of an “IWM for the North” was not completely dropped. In February 1997 IWM finalised a site in Trafford Park: a key industrial are during the Second World War, for the new museum, and funding was successfully acquired. IWM North we know today was born, and opened in July 2002